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The damp cold of a January night is easily forgotten once inside. In a smart, detached home just south of Birmingham, the Minogue family are cosier than they have ever been. They are one of around 100 homes in the local area taking part in a trial that offers a hint at the next phase of Britain’s energy revolution.

Each room in the house is set at a slightly different temperature: teenage sons opt for a cooler setting to their sister, who prefers to keep the temperature toastier. The kitchen, already comfortably warm, will heat up another few notches in a couple of hours – in time for Mr Minogue to arrive home from work.

Nicola Minogue is in the living room looking over her home’s bespoke heating...